Arizona weekly enterprise., 1887-12-31
OUR CONSUL TO RUSSIA.
Cost of Living in St. Petersburg-The
 Russian C1imate-ScandaI.


 Russian CIimate-ScandaI.
 Ispent an evening at the Riggs house day or so ago, chatting with Gen. Young, of Georgia, our late consul general to St. Petersburg; with Col. Way, of Savannah, who has just been appointed as his suc- cessor, and with Col. Coleman, of Illinois, but now a resident of this city, who was Howells' successor as consul to Venice, where he resided for four years. In Washington ex-consuls, ex-ministers, ex- generals and ex-everythings, from sena- tors to doorkeepers, are as thick as black berries. It seems as if all the people here had, at one time or another, been upon foreign mission, if only to carry shad eggs to England.
 Including salary, fees and everything, the office of consul general at St. Peters burg is not worth more than S3,5O0 a year. The Cuot of living is as dear there as in other cities. What with rents and housekeeping and servants the consul is lucky if he squeezes through on all he can get. The social position of a consul general is not a high one. He is regarded purely as a commercial agent, and has no relations whatever with the diplomatic NC1 po Ol CllC COult. I16 CdllS upon I1l9 American minister upon his arrival and upon the consuls of other nations. After ward his relations are wholly with the commercial class, people who have noth- ing to do with and are never admitted tc the governing class. There are less than a dozen Americans in St. Petersburg, fact which requires the consul to learn to speak Russian if he expects to get on with tolerable comfort Gen Young tells me that he made it point to master 300 of the most common Russian words, and with these he was able to hold all ordinary conversation.
 He speaks Of Russia as glorious coun- try, and says it has been more richly en- dowed by nature than the United States. It has sll climates, grows everything that we do and more besides, and it is full of minerals. The Russians think nothing of hauling iron ore on sleds 300 miles over the snow, and manufacturing it into iron at profit, feat which would be deemed im- possible in this country. Cold weather begins in Russia, in the latitude of St. Petersburg, as early as September, but from May onward the weather is charming. Gen. Young says he was never uncomfortable, as regards the weather, while in St. Petersburg, al- though there is often a difference of 80 degs. in temperature between the inside and outside of the house. There are days, however, when no one ventures out, the weather being unbearable. Covered or closed sledges and carriages are used and these are often heated But the weather ct, inf, pleasant effects. For three months after his arrival the general was unable to sleep more than three or four hours at night He said to me:
 q could not understand why I was eo sleepless. I used to'get up in the mid dle of the night, take sledge and drive furiously for dozen miles, then l would eat big dinner and go to bed again and manage to get some sleep.'
 '.How did you find things socially?' I asked.
 1.-The mercantile class. with which I came in contact, is very hospitable. They delight to entertain and will often ask you to dinner, but there is a great deal of scandal i'll St. Petersburg, and the peo- pie, or some of them at least, are very fond of gossiping. 1 found that every servant kept close watch on me. If I went out for drive he was sure to ask the driver upon my return where he had taken me, and where l had come from, and whom I had seen, This was intoler- able. 1 soon put stop to that. There are 25,000 cabs for hire in St. Peters burg, and by going around the corner I could find two or three, so I stopped talk ing cab at my own door. got different one every time, and used to be put down upon my return a block or two away from home. By that means my servant was taught to mind his own business - Fuller Walker in Kansas City Journal.